Eric Quill, a former professional soccer player, is in his fifth season as an assistant soccer coach at the University of Houston. Quill came to Houston after spending a year working with Silver Eagle Distributors in Houston.

"Eric is a tremendous student of the game and has experience playing at the highest level," Bush said. "His time with the National Team program and his nine seasons in MLS will add exceptional knowledge to our staff."

In his role as the program's first assistant, Quill serves as the recruiting coordinator and assists with both practice and in-game coaching.

"It's good to be back in the game I missed so much," Quill said. "I hope to build on what Susan (Bush) has started here at the University of Houston."

He played professionally for nine seasons in Major League Soccer for the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1997-2001), Kansas City Wizards (2002-2003), Dallas Burn, now FC Dallas (2004) and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, now Red Bull New York (2005). Quill's top performances came from 2000-2001 when he scored seven goals and 19 assists while making 48 starts.

He played one season at Clemson University, tallying six goals and five assists. Following his freshman season, he signed a Project 40 contract with Major League Soccer and was allocated to Tampa Bay.

Quill also had some extensive experience with the U.S. National Team, playing with the U-23, U-20 and U-16 squads. He was named to the final 23-man roster for a friendly match against El Salvador on November 17, 2002. It marked his first call-up to the Senior National Team, but he did not play. Quill was invited to a U-23 camp in January 2000. Along with all Project-40 players, he played in a closed-door match vs. Turkish champion Galatasaray (7/10/1998), a 4-1 win.

"Eric will undoubtedly prove to be a successful coach during his time at Houston because of his playing experience and his visible passion for this sport," Bush said. "Not only is Eric a great coach but also brings a likable personality to the coaching staff, players, and administrative staff. With him on board, the direction of the Houston program is promising."